Notice served on BMHRC Trust

WHILE THE State Government expressed its inability to do much in resolving the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC) impasse, Registrar Public Trust Rajesh Ongre today served a notice on the BMHRC Trust in response to a petition moved by Bhopal Gas Peedit Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti convener Sadhna Karnik and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leaders P N Verma and M K Balan.

indiaUpdated: Jan 07, 2006 19:20 IST

HT Correspondent PTI

WHILE THE State Government expressed its inability to do much in resolving the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC) impasse, Registrar Public Trust Rajesh Ongre today served a notice on the BMHRC Trust in response to a petition moved by Bhopal Gas Peedit Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti convener Sadhna Karnik and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leaders P N Verma and M K Balan. The notice addressed to the BMHRC working trustee Aziz Ahmed Siddiqui seeks reply by January 12.

In their petition before the Registrar, Karnik and two CITU leaders had sought intervention of the administration for resolving crisis at the hospital, taking back all employees of the hospital and an inquiry into allegations of irregularities of Trust.

In the Assembly, replying to a debate on a call attention motion over the issue, Minister for Gas Relief Babulal Gaur suggested that there was not much the State Government could do in resolving the BMHRC impasse and the matter would have to be settled in Delhi.

He asked Congress MLA Ajay Singh, who also participated in the debate, to seek help of his father and Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh, who is also chairman of Group of Ministers on Bhopal Gas Disaster, in resolving the crisis.

He said the BMHRC Trust was chaired by former chief justice of India Justice A M Ahmadi and he opined that if anyone wished a change in the BMHRC Trust deed, he should move the Supreme Court for the purpose.

He did not give any reply to leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Jamuna Devi plea that the House either passed a resolution for restoration of hospital services and taking back all the employees terminated by the Trust or dissolution of the Trust itself.

Congress MLA Arif Aqeel, while stating that 11 persons died during shifting from the hospital, asked why Justice Ahmadi did not think it fit to visit Bhopal even for once during crisis lingering for over a month.

He asked the Minister how come the State Government was so prompt in clamping the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on the hospital premises, if it was so ‘helpless’ in taking any initiative for resolution of crisis at the hospital.

Gaur said that ESMA was clamped on hospital premises but no action has been taken against anyone under the Act so far. Not convinced with the Minister’s reply, the entire Opposition except for BSP staged a walkout.

On the other hand, BJP MP Kailash Joshi and former BJP MP Kailash Sarang, who had met Justice Ahmadi in Delhi a couple of days ago, today held talk with members of the Action Group formed to work for restoration of services at the BMHRC and representatives of the agitating staff.

They, later, prepared a joint application on behalf of the staff for reinstatement of their services. It also regrets the ‘unfortunate circumstances’ that led to the agitation.

With this, the two conditions of the Trust for a formal application on behalf of the staff for reinstatement of services and an apology for the agitation have been met, said spokesperson for the Action Group Alok Pratap Singh. A copy of the application has been sent to Justice Ahmadi for his approval.

Members of the Action Group are likely to meet Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh tomorrow. Singh is visiting Bhopal for a short time.